Noida, February 2 (). Haryana Thunder became the champions of Pro Wrestling League (PWL) 2026 after a match that went till the last bout in the final against Delhi Dangal Warriors at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Sunday.
With the score tied at 4-4 after eight bouts, the outcome hinged on the final women’s 62 kg bout, in which Paris Olympics silver medalist Irina Kolyadenko performed brilliantly under pressure. His brilliant technical win gave Haryana Thunder a 5-4 win and the PWL 2026 title, in one of the most dramatic finals in the history of the league.
Haryana Thunder will take home the PWL 2026 trophy along with a prize money of Rs 1.5 crore. Runner-up, Delhi Dangal Warriors will get Rs 75 lakh. In individual awards, Delhi Dangal Warriors’ Turan Bayramov won the ‘Player of the Tournament’ title worth Rs 2.5 lakh in the 57 kg men’s category by winning all 7 bouts and scoring a total of 59 points in PWL 2026. Chandermohan of Punjab Royals was the top point scorer of the tournament.
Neha Sangwan (Haryana Thunder) received the ‘Player of the Match’ award for keeping the final competitive till the last bout. Raunak (Delhi Dangal Warriors) received the ‘Fighter of the Match’ award for his stellar performance in the men’s 125 kg category. The ‘Impact Player of the Match’ was Akshay Dhere (Haryana Thunder), who was recognized for his strong performance in the 57 kg men’s category.
Delhi started the championship night with the lead as unseeded Turan Bayramov won the 74 kg men’s bout, taking an early lead early and maintaining control to win 8-1. Haryana responded immediately in the 76 kg women’s category, where Under-20 world champion Kajal Dhochak leveled the score by defeating European champion Anastasia Alpiyeva 3-1.
The momentum changed in the 65 kg men’s match when Delhi captain Sujit Kalkal made a spectacular comeback to defeat World Championship silver medalist Tumur Ochir Tulga 8-6. Haryana immediately responded with their star and multiple-time world champion Yui Susaki showing her prowess with a stunning technical victory over Sarika to level the score at 2-2.
Delhi regained the lead in the 86 kg men’s match when Asian Championships bronze medalist Wafaipur Hadi Bakhtiar defeated Ashirov Ashraf 11-0. Haryana responded strongly, with Akshay Dhere defeating Delhi’s Amit Kumar by technical superiority in the 57 kg men’s event.
The heavyweight match was decisive, with Raunak performing brilliantly to defeat Anirudh Gulia 12-2, giving Delhi a 4-3 lead. Haryana did not give up, and Neha Sangwan kept the match going by pinning Anjali in the women’s 57 kg bout, leveling the score at 4-4.
The championship was at stake, and Irina Kolyadenko stepped into the crucial 62 kg women’s match. Taking advantage of her experience and calm nature, the Paris Olympics silver medalist defeated Anjali with continuous turn-and-exposure moves and secured a 16-0 technical victory. This win clinched the title for Haryana Thunders.
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